... also in the "finances" category, figure out how much savings are realized when your child attends college a year or two SOONER than age-mates.

With college rate hikes at about 3-8% annually, you're actually losing the $$ (in terms of its purchasing power, I mean) that you have set aside in stable, low-risk investments for that child's college education.

For some families who don't qualify for financial aid, that kind of calculation really matters a lot.


Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.